Official Luthiers Forum!

Dave and I launched Ann Arbor Guitars on April fools day 2013.

Other than a pandemic slowing us down for the last year it's been the most fun I've ever had with my clothes on. With that said maybe I should repair guitars, never mind.....

Anyway I met Dave (David Collins) here on the OLF even though we both lived in the same town the People's Republic of Ann Arbor we had never met.

Many of the early vendors here and members were our suppliers at one time and may still be.

It's been a roaring success and now the business has matured with more business than we often want and famous clients who keep it fun for us.

Had it not been for the OLF and the special flavor of friendship and intense interest in this subject matter Ann Arbor Guitars would not have existed.

A special thanks to Mario and Rick for their unique, no BS mentorship and many, many others here too past and present for helping me especially make the jump to L speed (Luthier). And a special thanks to the entire OLF community for your support and business in many cases.

Thanks.

And Hesh, I take to opportunity to thank YOU for having helped so many others here, including me.

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Pierre Castonguay

Happy birthday to Ann Arbor Guitars and may there be many more.

On a side note, honestly, I've been more busy during this pandemic then I have ever been. I think people pulled grandpa's old guitar out of the attic becasue they needed something to do only to find the guitar was in some serious disrepair.

A couple friends of mine who are bicycle mechanics have said the same thing.

You're still wet behind the ears.

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

Happy Birthday guys, thanks for the all the help, appreciated.

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

Ditto!

Congratulations and thank you all the help and assistance you have provided here. I follow your neck angle and set up method every time now and never have any more problems.

Congratulations hesh!
I hope you are doing well.

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Jim Watts
http://jameswattsguitars.com

Congratulations Hesh and Dave,
All the Best to you!

Congrats, Hesh!

I will be up to see you once the world is vaccinated.

I’m one shot down one to go myself!

Brad


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Insta - https://www.instagram.com/cbcguitars/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/cbcguitars

Thanks for your rational and articulate voice. Your postings have been treasure for me. Thank you.

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Peter Havriluk

Happy Birthday AA Guitars and congrats Dave and Hesh!

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Congrats and many thanks to you and Dave for the help and education you’ve provided!

Chapeau!

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It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.

Hi hesh an dave, congratulations on a great an successful biz. You realize that it only gets better !! cheers from OKC.!

Congratulations, Hesh!

Congratulations Hesh! It's great thing in the world of lutherie when someone finds success in pursuing their passion. It is deserving of acknowledgement and celebration!

BTW: My SJ Heshtone looks and plays like the day you gave it to me so many years ago now. Given how lightly braced it is, I used to be worried that I would find it one day imploded on its stand in my living room. The setup and action hasn't budged and I am amazed at how relatively immune to humidity changes this guitar is. She purrs like a kitten when softly played and roars like a lion when strummed aggressively.

Continued success and happiness!

Congratulations Hesh. I've never run a business, but I see them fail all the time.

I'm especially glad to see you back on the forum. Your posts are longer and more detailed. As a newbie on guitars, I need help some times. I've found that the MVA helped my violin making some, by actually meeting people and getting feedback. The AA area is a luthier Mecca, and the guys I've met there are great guys.

So maybe there is something in the water there?

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Why be normal?

Many thanks Anthony I really appreciate the feedback and very glad to hear that your Heshtone is playing well for you. I hope that you are doing great too.

Hi Ken and thank you for your kind comments. Yes there most certainly is something in the water here and this was the very first town in the United States to legalize pot.

From Dan E. to Bryon Gallop to now David Collins my business partner some of the top Luthiers are from the A2 area. We also have or had artists like Iggy Pop, Bob Seeger, Ted Nugent, the Mc5, Brownsville station and of course 30 miles down the road the Mecca of Motown "Hitsville" Mowtown studios.

Notables such as Eric Clapton with his paisley SG were at the Herb David Guitar Studio that preceded us in our building to get his SG repaired. John Lennon was in the same store, Herb's and the chair that he sat in while strumming a Martin was in our building on display for 50 years.

These days we've got Robert Hurst as a regular client he played bass on the Tonight show for ten years, is a professor at the University and is on dozens and dozens of albums. Michigan's own Jeff Daniels is also a regular and his son Ben. Mark Knoffler has been to our place along with Robben Ford.

Dave threw out Keefer Sutherland one day because he irritated him

So it's always fun and interesting and you never know who is going to show up. We seem to be on the circuit for performers performing in Detroit and at the Ark in A2.

Anyway thanks for your well wishes and when we reopen to the public you are very welcome to visit we have lots of cool things to show builders that Herb left there.

Congratulations, Hesh and Dave!


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Hesh, a big phew on the longstanding great performance of the Heshtone as I doubt it would qualify for warranty work from AA...lol. (so kidding).

I am happy to report all is well on my end. This pandemic and inability to do much else has motivated a fairly major garage/shop reno (and junk clearing), bringing in more circuits/amperage, upgrading a few stationary tools and organization of tools, 4000 watt heater (for the colder months) with the goal of starting to build again.

Well congratulations on the 8 year anniversary and also on surviving the China plague. Happy to know you guys are still pluggin' away up there. I hope to visit again someday when the world gets back to normal (if it ever does, LOL)

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jw ( o)===:::

I have a grand-baby about that age...fun, fractious, and never a dull moment. I hope your business remains a similar source of enjoyable mayhem.

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For the times they are a changin'

- Bob Dylan